Ahead of funeral, Ghanaians bid farewell to Kofi Annan

September 11, 2018 7:29 pm

By AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE, Accra, Ghana, Sep 11 – A steady stream of mourners on Tuesday paid their respects to the former UN secretary general Kofi Annan as he lay in state in the capital of his native Ghana.

The diplomat’s body was flown back from Switzerland on Monday ahead of a state funeral and private burial in Accra on Thursday.

Nobel peace laureate Annan, who was the world body’s first leader from sub-Saharan Africa, died on August 18 after a brief illness. He was 80.

Draped in Ghana’s red, green and gold flag, his coffin was guarded by senior military officers in ceremonial uniform at the Accra International Conference Centre.

There were traditional dances and a choir sang hymns as the public filed past, taking their chance to say a proud farewell to one of the country’s most famous sons.

Fritz Kitcher, who spent his career working in human rights for the United Nations in Geneva, said he had watched Annan rise through the ranks.

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE Agence France-Presse is a global news agency delivering fast, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from wars and conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology.